The Diameter protocol is a next generation authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) protocol. The Diameter base protocol is defined in IETF RFC 3588, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Commonly used within the Internet multimedia subsystem (IMS) architecture, the Diameter protocol was derived from the remote authentication dial-in user service (RADIUS) protocol. Historically, the RADIUS protocol was employed by Internet service providers (ISPs) to provide a secure communication channel between an ISP's access server and a secure location where user credential information was stored, e.g., a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) server. While the RADIUS protocol provided a standardized AAA exchange protocol, the emergence of new technologies and applications necessitated the development of a protocol capable of meeting ever-changing demands. Diameter aims to extend the standardized approach of RADIUS while providing expanded functionality and remaining open to future development.
As wireless communication technology continues to evolve, many providers are able to offer their subscribers services via a variety of radio access technologies supported by one or more radio access networks. While such an expanding infrastructure allows a provider to support greater services for its subscribers, often a provider may desire to manage how a particular subscriber or subset of subscribers utilizes its network resources at a given time or under a given set of network conditions.
Accordingly, a need exists for methods, systems, and computer readable media for Diameter-based steering of mobile device network access.